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it's a lot easier to prepare when you have that much warning,huh?
Also, when you do these preparations about 5 or 6 times a year, it gets old. I think people were tired of "preparing" for hurricanes when Katrina hit. I'm in Mississippi and we were forced to evacuate 5 times in 2004, and 2 times in 2005 before Katrina hit. My husband was in the air force, and they decided with Katrina he needed to shelter, but me and the kids evacuated. We were so tired of these evacuations that turned out to be nothing that the last thing we said to each other (the DAY before katrina hit) was "see ya on tuesday". If I had only known the horror he was about to endure...

it's a lot easier to prepare when you have that much warning,huh?
Also, when you do these preparations about 5 or 6 times a year, it gets old. I think people were tired of "preparing" for hurricanes when Katrina hit. I'm in Mississippi and we were forced to evacuate 5 times in 2004, and 2 times in 2005 before Katrina hit. My husband was in the air force, and they decided with Katrina he needed to shelter, but me and the kids evacuated. We were so tired of these evacuations that turned out to be nothing that the last thing we said to each other (the DAY before katrina hit) was "see ya on tuesday". If I had only known the horror he was about to endure...

Thank you for that eyewitness account, Missie. It's a great description of human nature and one we should all keep in mind.

(It's a similar process here in California with earthquakes. We get periodic warnings that big ones are overdue and annual reminders to stock up on supplies. But as years go by without a large tremor, we tend to get lax.)

it's a lot easier to prepare when you have that much warning,huh?
Also, when you do these preparations about 5 or 6 times a year, it gets old. I think people were tired of "preparing" for hurricanes when Katrina hit. I'm in Mississippi and we were forced to evacuate 5 times in 2004, and 2 times in 2005 before Katrina hit. My husband was in the air force, and they decided with Katrina he needed to shelter, but me and the kids evacuated. We were so tired of these evacuations that turned out to be nothing that the last thing we said to each other (the DAY before katrina hit) was "see ya on tuesday". If I had only known the horror he was about to endure...

The other side of Katrina is now hyper readiness. No where near us yet and their are new evacuation plans, store runs, gov already put into place a call for state of emergency etc. Won't catch us with our drawers down as my mama says.

My dh's main office is in Tampa, every branch is in a hurricane prone area of the coast. We are the only ones that are on mandatory evac every single time a hurricane comes into the gulf. I'd say that's carrying it too far myself.

Not to mention the glee that the news and weather folks are showing. It's like they have some perverse need for it to be bad and if they talk about it long enough, loud enough and make enough predictions based on what if, it will happen.

BhamMama-I totally agree with you about the hyper-rediness,I'm just worried that people will get tired of it once again and start slacking off.

You guys are so sweet-I wasn't expecting all the kudos for my post. Seriously-I was extremely blessed (not lucky, blessed-as my MIL says) as far as all of that went.

15 years ago (today actually) South Florida was hit by cat 5 Hurricane Andrew.
Although people may become laxed the state of Fl did improve their methods for emergencies and how they evacuate and to this day 15 years later those methods are still in place.

Had KAtrina never happened we would not be preparing for and watching Dean as we are now. if it hadn't been for katrina we would be ignoring Dean and being lax about it. before I sat through Katrina I never paid attention to or monitored hurricane and prepared the way I do now. During katrina I had food for a few days and didn't even fill my car up. Completley irresponsible on my part but we had become so apathetic towards hurricanes.

15 years ago (today actually) South Florida was hit by cat 5 Hurricane Andrew.
Although people may become laxed the state of Fl did improve their methods for emergencies and how they evacuate and to this day 15 years later those methods are still in place.

I can't bellieve it's been that long ago. Last storm I was in.

Preparing for hurricanes should be an annual, methodic chore. The first hurricane I remember was in the late 40's. My grandparents lived right on the bay. They boarded up and came to stay with us. We always were prepared. My dad made corregated aluminum shutters to fit the windows and anchored to the outside wall with two by fours. The bolts stayed in the wall and it was easy to put them up and use wing nuts and washers to bolt them down. These served for many, many years. They also made sure we had sterno stoves, batteries, canned goods, kerosene for hurricane lamps, batteries for flashlights and radios. If a storm threatened, then they filled the cars, bought a few perishibles. The closer it got, mom brought in her expensive orchids and bromiliads, put lawn furniture and garbage cans in the carport and secured them. At the first squall lines, the shutters went up. This went on year after year. Some year there were no storms. No grumbling, no complaining, just relief they were spared. We never had more than minumum damage ever. I guess this comes from people who were in the 1926 hurricane and did relief work for the storm in 1935.

Save yourself the rush and panic when you discover Home Depot is totally out of plywood. Make your own shutters like my dad did. If you just get ready at the beginning of the season, then your last minute necessities will take only a tiny bit of time. Oh, and work with your neighbors, it may save your own home from damage. Things like moving furniture, bar-b-ques and trash cans to secure areas. I was living in Ft. Lauderdale during Andrew and my boyfriend and I and all the neighbors worked together to make sure everyone was helped that needed it.

The horror stories from Andrew from my friends and co-workers still haunt me. Trying to find your street, let along your house, or where it was. Surviving in a home coming down around them. I am so glad I was further north. Even then, we knew there were tornados in our area given the path of tree destruction and some home damage in the immediate area.

Just prepare early on the major things. Have those jugs ready for water, get those lamps ready. Have materials on hand to protect your windows. Masking tape will not protect from a neighbor's missed lawn chair or a tree limb.

Amraan, I believe that building codes and inspections were tightened after Andrew. Many new homes directly in the path didn't have roof tie-downs.